event traversing various inclines (at 15, 30, and 45 degrees). The Section M Evaluation Criteria are used to evalu - ate each team, with one team an - nounced as the overall winner based on best value. Bridging Digital Engineering and Acquisition The WarU digital ecosystem (Cameo, Teamwork Cloud, digital dashboards/splash pages in Cameo, and BrickLink Studio [LEGO® CAD equivalent tool/Digital Twin]) inte - grates advanced modeling, simula - tion, and analytical tools into pro - grammatic workflows. This allows teams to visualize, test, and refine designs earlier and strengthens decision-making by providing action - able data that directly informs plan - ning, risk management, and review stages. This results in more adaptive and effective program execution that bridges the digital engineering and acquisition gap. Consistent with DoDI 5000.88, WSE 006 highlights how digital acquisition and engineering enable earlier iden - tification of technical risk, better-in - formed trade decisions, and improved alignment among requirements, design, and verification activities. Model-based reviews lead to digital acquisition directly supporting calcu - lated risks and improved cost, sched - ule, and performance outcomes.
Students conduct prototype testing in preparation for a competitive run-off in the WSE 006 workshop. Source: Author
Conclusion As the DoW continues institution - alizing digital acquisition and engi - neering through policy and guidance, WSE 006 represents a new standard in cross-functional acquisition training. The workshop immerses students in a realistic, time-constrained environ - ment and provides them with practi - cal skills to apply in real acquisition programs. The workshop helps close the gap between policy intent and execution, enabling the workforce to lead digital transformation efforts and enable digital acquisition to be - come the norm across the DoW.
THERIOT serves as the WarU Capital and Northeast Region Department Chair of Engi- neering and Technology at Fort Belvoir, Vir- ginia. He is the Learning Asset Manager for WSE 006 and is actively involved in develop- ing and delivering hands-on digital learning assets, workshops, games and simulations, and Artificial Intelligence Socratic tools aligned with DoW acquisition policy for the acquisi- tion workforce. The author can be contacted at Tyrone.Theriot@waru.edu . The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the Department of War. Reproduction or reposting of articles from Defense Acquisition magazine should credit the authors and the magazine.
MDAP Program Manager Changes With the assistance of the Office of the Secretary of War, Defense Acquisition magazine publishes the names of incoming and outgoing program managers for major defense acquisition programs (MDAPs). This announcement lists such changes of leadership for both civilian and military program managers reported for the months of July through August 2026. ARMY None NAVY/MARINE CORPS None AIR FORCE None FOURTH ESTATE None
SEPTEMBER –OCTOBER 2026 | DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE 31
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